Spark-ignited internal combustion engine modified for multi-fuel operation

ABSTRACT

A spark-ignited (SI) internal combustion (IC) engine designed to operate on high octane fuels, such as gasoline, is reconfigured to operate on low octane fuels including logistically preferred distillate fuels, such as diesel or JP-8. Design modifications involve coupling a fuel reformer module to the internal combustion engine. Auxiliary components include a system control module, a heat exchange module, a bypass valve to facilitate start-up, and/or a throttle body to control a reformate-oxidizer mixture fed to the engine. Small portable generators having 0.3-3.0 kWe power output are disclosed based upon the modified SI-IC engine design.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Non-provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 14/826,263, filed Aug. 14, 2015, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/070,237, filed Aug. 18,2014, the aforementioned applications in their entirety beingincorporated herein by reference.

GOVERNMENT RIGHTS

This invention was made with support from the U.S. government underContract no. W15P7T-08-C-K401, Contract no. W15P7T-12-C-A369, andContract no. W15P7T-14-C-A451, sponsored by the Department of Defense(US Army). The U.S. Government holds certain rights in this invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to an internal combustion engine adaptedfor multi-fuel operation. More specifically, this invention pertains toa spark-ignited internal combustion engine adapted with a fuel reformerfor operation with a variety of reformed fuels. In another aspect, thisinvention pertains to a generator configured with a spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine in combination with a reformer. In yetanother aspect, this invention pertains to a method of operating aspark-ignited internal combustion engine on a low octane fuel (e.g.,diesel), in contrast to the high octane fuel (e.g., gasoline) for whichthe engine was originally designed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Internal combustion (IC) engines normally are designed to operate on asingle energy-dense liquid fossil fuel, such as gasoline or diesel.Under typical conditions, in a first step the designated liquid fuel isinjected into a chamber comprising a reciprocating piston. The fuel ismixed with an oxidizer, typically oxygen supplied as air. In a secondstep, the piston moves to compress the mixture. In a third step, thecompressed mixture is either spark ignited (SI) or compression ignited(CI) depending upon the liquid fuel employed, whereupon combustionoccurs to produce an expanding mixture of gaseous combustion products.The gaseous products produce a force on the piston, which moves thepiston over a distance. Mechanical energy derived from the moving pistonis converted into useful mechanical or electrical work. After maximumexpansion, the piston retracts as the gases exit the chamber; andthereafter the process is repeated many times.

In one type of IC engine combustion is intermittent, as exemplified infamiliar two-stroke and four stroke engines. Such engines find utilityin motive applications and are the predominant power supply for cars,motorcycles, boats and small gasoline-powered engines, such as lawnmowers. Such engines also find utility in electrical power generators,which are useful, for example, in logistics and rescue operations (i.e.,field operations) and for temporary power generation during disruptionsin a power grid. Small portable generators of about 1 to 3 kilowattselectric (1-3 kWe) output are especially useful in logistics and rescueoperations. In another type of IC engine, combustion is continuous. Suchengines find utility in large-scale stationary power applications, suchas gas turbine power plants, and larger more powerful motiveapplications, such as jet engines and rocket engines. The presentinvention is particularly directed to the intermittent IC engine and itsuse in mobile and stationary applications of a smaller, more portablescale as noted above.

Spark-ignited internal combustion (SI-IC) engines are designed foroperation on a high octane fuel having an octane number typicallygreater than 80, for example, gasoline. For power generation underlogistics and field conditions, gasoline is currently considered anundesirable fuel. For one reason, gasoline has a higher volatility andlower flash point as compared with lower octane liquid distillate fuels,such as JP-8 and diesel. Thus, providing a supply train for gasoline ismore problematical than providing a supply train for distillate fuels.Moreover, providing multiple fuel trains is undesirable. Accordingly, itwould be desirable to operate all power generation sources, bothstationary and motive including those under field conditions, on onefuel, namely, a distillate fuel such as diesel or JP-8. As is wellunderstood in the art, a spark-ignited gasoline engine is not designedfor operation on a low octane distillate fuel.

Distillate fuels, such as JP-8, have a low octane number; for example,diesel has an octane number between about 15 and 25. Engines designedfor operation on low octane fuel employ compression ignition (CI) andtypically are large, heavy, and thick-walled to withstand compressionpressures. Additionally, combustion of distillate fuels, such as diesel,generates soot and other unacceptable emissions. Operation of a dieselengine at reduced power is quite inefficient resulting in a conditioncalled “wet stacking”, a term used to describe deposition of unburnedfuel inside the diesel engine exhaust system. An engine running in thiscondition generates considerable soot that without frequent cleaning canlead to catastrophic failure of the engine. Thus, the CI internalcombustion engine operating on diesel fuel is not a suitable engine forlogistics operations where small, light-weight, lower power (e.g.,0.3-3.0 kWe) features are needed. In view of the above, it would bedesirable to redesign a SI internal combustion engine, originallydesigned for operation on a high octane fuel like gasoline, to operateon a low octane fuel, such as diesel or JP-8.

In one application, lightweight portable generator sets (hereinafter“gensets”), which produce about 1-3 kWe power, are commerciallyubiquitous; however, these gensets employ a SI internal combustionengine and operate solely on high octane gasoline. Adapting thesegensets to operate on low octane diesel or JP-8 would significantlyalter power dynamics and offer advantages under field conditions.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,095 discloses an internal combustion engineoperating on a reformed gas produced through reformation of “an ordinaryliquid fuel typified by gasoline.” The internal combustion engine isdisclosed to comprise four combustion chambers, wherein the firstcombustion chamber is constructed to act as a reformer to convert theordinary liquid fuel into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide andwherein the three remaining chambers are constructed to receivereformate and the ordinary liquid fuel. The engine is taught to operatesolely on gasoline reformate, solely on liquid gasoline, or on a mixtureof reformate and liquid gasoline.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,861 discloses a combined gasoline and hydrogenfueling system for gasoline-powered internal combustion engines,including a catalytic reformer for producing gaseous reformate fromgasoline. The patent teaches that the reformate from the reformer isswept by air into the intake manifold of the cold engine, where it ismixed with intake air and then drawn into the cylinders and ignitedconventionally to start the engine before the engine is transitioned tooperation on gasoline.

Among other references disclosing the adaptation of an internalcombustion engine with a fuel reformer are U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,133, andUS 2014/0109844, and the following non-patent literature publications:F. Y. Hagos, A. R. A. Aziz, and S. A. Sulaiman, “Trends of Syngas as aFuel in Internal Combustion Engines”, Advances in MechanicalEngineering, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Vol. 2014 (2014), ArticleID 401587, 10 pp.; and S. Brusca, V. Chido, A. Galvagno, R. Lanzafame,and A. M. C. Garrano, “Analysis of Reforming Gas Combustion in InternalCombustion Engine”, Energy Procedia, 45 (2014), 899-908.

Some prior art related to modifying an internal combustion engine with afuel reformer tends not to disclose details of the fuel reformer ordiscloses inherently large, bulky reformer apparatuses. These reformerscan exhibit unacceptable efficiency and can produce coke and degradationin hydrogen yield within a short time frame, rendering such apparatusesunacceptable for onboard motive or portable stationary applications.Other prior art attempts to achieve distillate fueling of an IC enginethrough distillate fuel vaporization, which does not actually change thefuel's low octane number and thus does not overcome the low octaneissue. This latter approach suffers from durability and reliabilityissues inherent to vaporization in field use.

In view of the above, the intermittent spark-ignited internal combustionengine designed to operate on high octane fuel, such as gasoline, wouldbenefit from design modifications that allow for multi-fuel operation.Such modifications should desirably involve no substantive redesign orreconfiguration of the spark-ignited internal combustion engine itself.Rather, the SI internal combustion engine should be simply retrofit withadditional components that provide the desired novel functionality. Itwould be beneficial for a gasoline-fueled SI internal combustion engineto operate fully on a low octane distillate fuel, namely diesel or JP-8,so as to simplify fuel supply trains and to provide light-weight,portable engines and generators, preferably of 0.3 to 3.0 kWe output,suitable for a variety of logistics and field operations. Suchmodifications should desirably result in a spark-ignited internalcombustion engine that meets existing emissions standards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

We have now discovered that an apparatus of the present inventionprovides a unique solution to the aforementioned problems in the priorart. Accordingly, in one aspect this invention provides for aspark-ignited internal combustion engine configured for multi-fueloperation, comprising:

-   -   (a) a reformer module comprising:        -   (i) a fuel inlet,        -   (ii) an oxidizer inlet,        -   (iii) a mixing zone fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet and            oxidizer inlet,        -   (iv) a catalytic reaction zone fluidly coupled to the mixing            zone, the reaction zone comprising a mesh or foam substrate            having an ultra-short-channel-length, the mesh or foam            substrate having supported thereon a reforming catalyst;        -   (v) an ignition source disposed within the catalytic            reaction zone; and        -   (vi) an outlet line fluidly coupled to the catalytic            reaction zone; and    -   (b) an internal combustion engine comprising:        -   (i) one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber            comprising a reciprocating piston and a spark igniter;        -   (ii) a reformate intake, fluidly coupled to the outlet line            of the reformer module and fluidly coupled to each            combustion chamber;        -   (iii) an oxidizer intake fluidly coupled to each combustion            chamber; and        -   (iv) an exhaust outlet fluidly coupled to each combustion            chamber.

In one embodiment, the mesh or foam substrate having anultra-short-channel-length is provided in a coiled configuration havingan inner diameter and an outer diameter and a radial flow path from theinner diameter to the outer diameter. In another embodiment, the mesh orfoam substrate having an ultra-short-channel-length is provided as aplanar sheet or a stack of planar sheets.

In yet another embodiment, the reformer module and the internalcombustion engine are coupled to a system control module comprising aplurality of individual components and/or modules so as to provide fordistributed functionality. Specifically, the system control modulecomprises (i) a supplementary power source, such as a battery pack,which provides for start-up, peaking, and stabilization of the combinedreformer-internal combustion engine system during operation; (ii) a dataacquisition module, which comprises a plurality of sensors, includingtemperature, oxygen, pressure, and/or other sensors; and (iii) aprocessing module, which comprises computer hardware and softwaredesigned to receive data from the data acquisition module and calculatetherefrom an integrated and controlled operation of the reformer withthe internal combustion engine. Additionally, the control system maycontain other balance of plant components, such as a fuel pump and oneor more blowers.

In yet another embodiment, a heat exchange module is disposed betweenthe reformer module and the internal combustion engine. The heatexchanger module functions to reduce the temperature of the reformateexiting the fuel reformer module prior to entering the internalcombustion engine.

In yet another embodiment, a bypass valve is disposed between thereformer module (preferably after the heat exchanger module where suchis present) and the internal combustion engine. As describedhereinafter, the bypass valve functions to control start-up of theapparatus of this invention.

In yet another embodiment, the exhaust outlet from the internalcombustion engine is fluidly coupled to the oxidizer inlet to thereformer. This embodiment is referred to as “exhaust gas recycle” or“EGR” and provides for a portion of the combustion exhaust gas to berecycled to the fuel reformer in conjunction with the oxidizer and theliquid fuel.

In yet another aspect, this invention provides for a method of operatinga spark-ignited internal combustion engine on a low octane fuel, such asdiesel or JP-8, wherein the spark-ignited internal combustion engine wasoriginally designed for operation on a high octane fuel, such asgasoline. The method comprises:

-   -   (a) contacting a low octane fuel and an oxidizer in a catalytic        reaction zone of a reformer module, the catalytic reaction zone        comprising a mesh or foam substrate having an        ultra-short-channel-length, the substrate having supported        thereon a reforming catalyst, the contacting being conducted        under partial oxidation reaction conditions sufficient to        convert the low octane fuel into a reformate comprising hydrogen        and carbon monoxide;    -   (b) feeding the reformate into a heat exchange module wherein        the reformate is in thermal conductive contact with a heat        transfer fluid so as to cool the reformate; and    -   (c) feeding the cooled reformate and an oxidizer into a        spark-ignited internal combustion engine for combustion.

In a related embodiment of this method, a low octane liquid distillatefuel is co-fed with the reformate to the internal combustion engine. Inthis embodiment, the reformate comprises from about 20 percent to lessthan 100 percent of the total fuel fed to the engine; whereas the lowoctane fuel comprises from greater than 0 percent to about 80 percent ofthe total fuel fed to the engine.

The apparatus and method of this invention provide for a spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine, designed originally for operation on a highoctane liquid fuel, to be adapted for multi-fuel operation includingoperation on a variety of low octane distillate fuels. No significantreconfiguration of the internal combustion engine is required. Rather,the engine is retrofitted with portable on-board components including aportable onboard fuel reformer, which converts low octane distillatefuel via partial oxidation into high octane gaseous reformate having anoctane number approaching 100, which is fed essentially directly to thefuel intake of the SI internal combustion engine. The simplicity of thetechnology makes it readily adaptable to spark-ignited internalcombustion engines commercially available from well-known enginemanufacturers. In a preferred embodiment, the fuel reformer employed inthis invention comprising the ultra-short-channel-length catalyticconverter provides advantageously for quick start-up from coldconditions, high hydrogen yield, low coke precursors, and acceptablecatalyst lifetime.

The internal combustion engine adapted in accordance with this inventioncan be used in transportation applications, such as automobiles, boats,and motorcycles; or alternatively coupled with an electrical converterfor use as a generator. Generators producing from about 0.3 to 3.0kilowatts electric (0.3-3.0 kWe) or higher output are obtainable fromthe apparatus described herein. This invention is particularly suitedfor field conditions wherein a spark-ignited internal combustion engine,originally configured to operate on high octane gasoline, is operatedsolely on reformate derived from low octane distillate fuel or on amixture of said reformate and low octane liquid distillate fuel.

Hydrogen-fueled vehicles and generators are of interest as low-emissionsapparatuses, because hydrogen as a fuel or fuel additive cansignificantly reduce production of undesirable emissions. Accordingly,the apparatus and method associated with this invention provide foronboard production of syngas comprising hydrogen, which when fed into aspark-ignited internal combustion engine drives combustion towardsreduced emissions as well as higher engine efficiency.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the apparatusof this invention comprising a spark-ignited internal combustion engineadapted with a fuel reformer.

FIG. 2 provides a graph of input and output data obtained from operatinga spark-ignited internal combustion engine on a low octane liquidhydrocarbon fuel, in accordance with the apparatus and method of thisinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In another embodiment this invention provides for a spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine adapted for multi-fuel operation comprising:

-   -   (a) a reformer module comprising:        -   (i) a fuel inlet;        -   (ii) an oxidizer inlet,        -   (iii) a mixing zone fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet and            the oxidizer inlet,        -   (iv) a catalytic reaction zone fluidly coupled to the mixing            zone, the reaction zone comprising a mesh or foam substrate            having an ultra-short-channel-length, the mesh or foam            substrate having supported thereon a reforming catalyst;        -   (v) an ignition source disposed within the catalytic            reaction zone; and        -   (vi) an outlet line fluidly coupled to the catalytic            reaction zone;    -   (b) a throttle body comprising:        -   (i) a housing having a throttle valve disposed therein;        -   (ii) upstream of the throttle valve, a reformate intake            fluidly coupled to the outlet line (a)(vi) of the reformer            module;        -   (iii) upstream of the throttle valve, an oxidizer intake;            and        -   (iv) downstream of the throttle valve, an outlet for exiting            a mixture of reformate and oxidizer; and    -   (c) an internal combustion engine comprising:        -   (i) one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber            comprising a reciprocating piston and a spark igniter;        -   (ii) a reformate-oxidizer intake fluidly coupled to the            outlet (b)(iv) of the throttle body and further coupled to            each combustion chamber; and        -   (iii) an exhaust from each combustion chamber.

In yet another embodiment, the throttle body further comprises a liquidfuel inlet downstream of the throttle valve for the purpose of providingan intake of liquid fuel (co-fuel) to the internal combustion engine.

In another embodiment, the internal combustion engine comprising thethrottle body further comprises (d) a system control module operativelycoupled to the reformer module and the internal combustion engine, andmay or may not be coupled to the throttle body, as desired. The systemcontrol module comprises: (i) a supplementary power source; (ii) a dataacquisition module; and (iii) a processing module, as describedhereinbefore.

In yet another aspect, any one of the aforementioned embodiments of theinternal combustion engine further comprises an electrical conversionmodule coupled to the internal combustion engine for convertingmechanical output of the internal combustion engine into electricity.This aspect of the invention is recognized as a “generator”.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides for a spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine adapted for multi-fuel operation comprising:

-   -   (a) a reformer module comprising:        -   (i) a fuel inlet;        -   (ii) an oxidizer inlet,        -   (iii) a mixing zone fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet and            the oxidizer inlet,        -   (iv) a catalytic reaction zone fluidly coupled to the mixing            zone, the reaction zone comprising a mesh or foam substrate            having an ultra-short-channel-length, the mesh or foam            substrate having supported thereon a reforming catalyst;        -   (v) an ignition source disposed within the catalytic            reaction zone; and        -   (vi) an outlet line fluidly coupled to the catalytic            reaction zone;    -   (b) a heat exchange module comprising        -   (i) a first heat exchange inlet fluidly coupled to the            outlet line of the reformer module, and a first flow path            through the heat exchange module from the first heat            exchange inlet to a first heat exchange outlet;        -   (ii) a second heat exchange inlet, and a second flow path            through the heat exchange module from the second heat            exchange inlet to a second heat exchange outlet; and        -   (iii) the first flow path being in thermally conductive            contact with the second flow path;    -   (c) a bypass valve comprising:        -   (i) a bypass inlet fluidly coupled to the first outlet of            the heat exchange module;        -   (ii) a bypass first outlet to the environment; and        -   (iii) a bypass second outlet;    -   (d) a throttle body comprising:        -   (i) a housing having a throttle valve disposed therein;        -   (ii) upstream of the throttle valve, a reformate intake            fluidly coupled to the bypass second outlet;        -   (iii) upstream of the throttle valve, an oxidizer intake;            and        -   (iv) downstream of the throttle valve, an outlet for exiting            a mixture of reformate and oxidizer; and    -   (e) an internal combustion engine comprising:        -   (i) one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber            comprising a reciprocating piston and a spark igniter;        -   (ii) a reformate-oxidizer intake fluidly coupled to the            outlet of the throttle body and further coupled to each            combustion chamber;        -   (iii) an exhaust outlet from each combustion chamber; and    -   (f) a system control module operatively coupled to the reformer        module, the heat exchange module, the bypass valve, and the        spark-ignited internal combustion engine.

In yet another preferred aspect, the aforementioned internal combustionengine comprising the reformer, heat exchanger, bypass valve, throttlebody, and spark-ignited engine further comprises an electricalconversion module coupled to the internal combustion engine forconverting mechanical output of the engine into electricity. This aspectof the invention is recognized as a “generator”.

With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of an apparatus of thisinvention is illustrated comprising an internal combustion engineconfigured with a catalytic fuel reformer. Apparatus 10 is showncomprising internal combustion engine 1 with spark igniter 26 andcatalytic reformer module 2, the latter comprising fuel inlet 3,oxidizer inlet 5, mixer 4, catalytic reaction zone 6, ignition source 7,and reformer outlet 8. The fuel inlet 3 receives and inputs the liquidfuel into fluidly coupled mixer 4. Likewise, oxidizer inlet 5 receivesand inputs an oxidizer into fluidly coupled mixer 4, the mixer providingfor essentially complete atomization of the liquid fuel and thoroughmixing thereof with the oxidizer. Mixer 4 communicates with thecatalytic reaction zone 6 comprising a substrate having a reformingcatalyst supported thereon. The substrate comprises a mesh or foamhaving an ultra-short-channel-length, as described hereinafter; in thisspecific embodiment a reticulated mesh provided in a coiledconfiguration having an inner diameter and an outer diameter so as toprovide a radial flow path from the inner diameter to the outerdiameter. The ignition source 7 is disposed within substrate 6 for thepurpose of igniting a catalytic partial oxidation of the liquid fuelwith the oxidizer to produce partial oxidation products (gaseousreformate), namely, a syngas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.Outlet line 8 communicating with the catalytic reaction zone 6 exhauststhe gaseous reformate from reformer 2.

Continuing with FIG. 1, heat exchange module 11 is configured with afirst inlet 9 for receiving the gaseous reformate from outlet line 8 ofcatalytic reformer 2. Heat exchange module 11 is further configured witha first flow path (shown as arrows) there through and a first outlet 12for exiting the gaseous reformate from module 11. Heat exchange module11 is further configured with a second inlet 13 for receiving a heattransfer fluid (or cooling fluid), a second flow path there through (notexplicitly shown), and a second outlet 14 for exiting the heat transferfluid. In the embodiment shown, the heat transfer fluid is exhausted tothe environment; however, other configurations are possible. Forexample, when the heat transfer fluid is air, second outlet 14 can befluidly connected to the oxidizer inlet 5 to the reformer 2, such thatthe oxidizer is preheated in the heat exchange module 11 prior tofeeding to the reformer. The first and second flow paths are configuredto be in thermal conductive contact (not shown in FIG. 1), such thatheat in the gaseous reformate is conducted into the heat transfer fluidthereby cooling the gaseous reformate and heating the heat transferfluid. The cooled gaseous reformate exits the heat exchange module atoutlet 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, bypass valve 16 is disposed betweenheat exchange module 11 and throttle valve 19. Outlet line 12 of heatexchange module 11 communicates with an inlet into bypass valve 16,allowing for a flow of reformate exiting heat exchange module 11 toenter bypass valve 16, which further comprises first bypass outlet 17and second bypass outlet 18. First bypass outlet 17 exits the gaseousreformate to the environment. Second bypass outlet 18 exits the gaseousreformate to the internal combustion engine 1 via throttle body 19. InFIG. 1, second bypass outlet 18 communicates with throttle body 19, suchthat reformate exiting second bypass outlet 18 is fed into throttle body19, which also receives oxidizer via inlet 20. An optional co-feed ofliquid fuel (co-fuel) can be input into the engine via fuel inlet 23disposed on the downstream end of the throttle body 19. The mixture ofreformate and oxidizer, with or without co-fuel, is fed from thethrottle body 19 into one or more reciprocating pistons of internalcombustion engine 1 configured with spark igniter (spark plug) 26. Thecombustion chamber of the engine includes reformate/fuel-oxidizer intake27, exhaust outlet 24 for exiting combustion products to theenvironment. Mechanical energy obtained from the internal combustionengine can be employed as mechanical work; or alternatively, as shown inFIG. 1 can be converted in generator 21 into electrical energy. Systemcontrol module 25, coupled to the internal combustion engine 1, thereformer module 2, heat exchange module 11, and bypass valve 16,functions to integrate data outputs with process inputs for control ofthe process.

The fuel supplied to the reformer can be any gaseous or liquidhydrocarbon fuel; but for purposes of the method of this inventioncomprises any liquid distillate fuel derived from petroleum fossil fuel,biomass, or synthetic fuel sources. Normally, the distillate fuel isfound in a liquid state within a temperature range from about −45° C. toabout +140° C. at 1 atmosphere pressure. The boiling point ordistillation point is fuel specific, but may range from about 160° C. toabout 350° C. The fuel may consist of a single hydrocarbon component.More typically, the fuel comprises a complex mixture of paraffinic,cycloaliphatic, and aromatic hydrocarbons as known in the art. Suitabledistillate fuels supplied to the reformer include distillate fuelshaving a low octane rating of less than about 30, preferably, betweenabout 15 and 25, non-limiting examples of which include diesel,kerosene, JP-8, JP-10, and Jet-A, as well as biodiesel, and liquidhydrocarbon fuels obtained from synthetic sources includingFisher-Tropsch processes. For the purposes of this invention, thedistillate fuel does not include high octane fuels having an octanerating higher than 80, such as gasoline.

The oxidizer supplied to the reformer comprises any chemical capable ofpartially oxidizing the distillate fuel selectively to a mixture ofhydrogen and carbon monoxide (syngas). Suitable oxidizers include,without limitation, essentially pure oxygen, mixtures of oxygen andnitrogen, such as air, and mixtures of oxygen and one or more inertgases, such helium and argon. In most applications, air is thecommercially desirable oxidizer.

The distillate fuel and oxidizer are provided to the reformer in a“fuel-rich” ratio such that there is insufficient amount of oxidizer toconvert all of the fuel to deep oxidation products, namely, carbondioxide and water. The quantities of distillate fuel and oxidizer arebest described in terms of an O:C ratio, wherein “0” refers to atoms ofoxygen in the oxidizer and “C” refers to atoms of carbon in thedistillate fuel. Generally, the O:C ratio of oxidizer to distillate fuelfed to the reformer is greater than about 0.5:1 and less than about1.1:1, the precise range being dependent upon the distillate fuelemployed.

The reforming process desirably involves reforming wherein thedistillate fuel and oxidizer are contacted in the absence of co-fedexternal water and/or steam. In this instance, the term “external waterand/or steam” refers to a supply of water, or a supply of steam, or asupply of water and steam that is imported from an external source,e.g., water tank or steam generator or vaporizer carried onboard. Whilethis application does not prohibit co-feeding water and/or steam to thereforming process, and while reformate yields are often enhanced by theaddition of co-fed water or steam, in the present application co-feedingexternal water and/or steam might present certain disadvantages. Forone, carrying a supply tank of water and/or a water vaporizer or steamgenerator onboard would be burdensome or impractical in logistical andfield operations. Also, the volume and heat content of steam output inthe reformate might induce a less than optimal operation of thedownstream internal combustion engine. On the other hand, recycling tothe reformer a portion of the IC engine exhaust gas containing steam ispermissible and may be beneficial. Consequently, although we do notprohibit co-feeding water and/or steam where under certain circumstancesit might be desirable for boosting hydrogen yield, the inventionbenefits from reforming in the absence of co-fed external water and/orsteam. In other words, no water tank or steam generator or vaporizer isrequired.

The reformer module comprises a reformer of the type described in any ofthe following patent publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,976,594; 8,557,189;WO 2004/060546; and US 2011/0061299, incorporated herein by reference.While the invention is described herein in terms of employing only onereformer module per combustion engine, another embodiment of theinvention provides for a plurality of reformer modules, for example, twoor more, to be integrated with one combustion engine. In mostapplications, one reformer module should satisfy the reformaterequirements of the engine.

According to the invention, the distillate fuel is fed from a fuel tankthrough the fuel inlet into the reformer, specifically into the mixerunit. A fuel pump provides a suitable means for transporting the fuelfrom the fuel tank to the inlet of the reformer. The fuel inletcomprises any known device for feeding a liquid fuel, for example, anozzle, atomizer, vaporizer, injector, mass flow meter, or any othersuitable flow control device. The injector can also be used to quantify(or meter) the fuel fed to the reformer. Likewise, the oxidizer is fedinto the mixer through the oxidizer inlet, which comprises anyconventional inlet device, for example, a nozzle, injector, or mass flowmeter.

The mixer may or may not comprise swirler vanes and baffles tofacilitate atomization and mixing of the liquid fuel and oxidizer. Onepreferred mixer embodiment comprises combining a pulsed electromagneticliquid fuel injector and a pulsed oxidizer injector, which feed fuel andoxidizer respectively, into an atomizer that thoroughly atomizes theliquid fuel and mixes it with the oxidizer. This combined dualinjector-atomizer device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,439,990,incorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, the distillate fuel is fed to the mixer at ambienttemperature without preheating. In another embodiment, the distillatefuel is preheated prior to being fed to the mixer. The oxidizer isgenerally fed into the mixer at the same temperature as the liquid fuel,but may be fed at a temperature hotter or colder as desired. In oneembodiment, the oxidizer is fed to the mixer at ambient temperature. Inanother embodiment, the oxidizer is fed as the heat exchange fluid intothe second flow path of the heat exchange module, where it is preheatedprior to being fed into the reformer. We have found that heat generatedin the catalytic reaction zone is sufficient to support fuelvaporization at a level required for stable partial oxidation throughoutthe catalyst bed. As a consequence, the reformer module and reformingprocess of the present invention provide gasification of liquid fuelwithout a requirement for supplying external heat or steam to thereformer.

The catalytic reaction zone of the reformer module comprises a mesh orfoam substrate disposed therein onto which a catalyst is supported, suchsubstrate configured to provide thorough mixing of the fuel and oxidizerpassing there through. Generally, the substrate comprises a mesh or foamcomprising a plurality of pores or channels ofultra-short-channel-length, as noted hereinafter. The mesh, for example,may consist of a reticulated metal net or screen with a plurality ofpores. The foam, for example, may consist of a solid monolith containinga plurality of channels. In one embodiment the mesh substrate issuitably provided in a coiled configuration of cylindrical shape havingan inner diameter and a larger outer diameter, such that reactantsflowing there through move along a radial flow path from an inlet at theinner diameter to an outlet at the outer diameter. In another embodimentthe mesh substrate is suitably provided as a sheet or a stack of sheets.The mesh provided in the coiled configuration or stack of sheetsprovides for a plurality of void volumes in random order, that is, emptyspaces with essentially no regularity along the flow path from inlet tooutlet. The substrate material of construction comprises any metalcapable of withstanding the temperature at which the reformer moduleoperates. Suitable materials include without limitationnickel-chrome-iron alloys of acceptable temperature durability.

In a preferred embodiment, the substrate comprises a Microlith brandultra-short-channel-length metal mesh, available from PrecisionCombustion, Inc., North Haven, Conn., USA. A description of theultra-short-channel-length metal mesh is found, for example, in U.S.Pat. No. 5,051,241, incorporated herein by reference. Generally, themesh comprises short channel length, low thermal mass metal monoliths,which contrast with prior art monoliths having longer channel lengths.For purposes of this invention, the term “ultra-short-channel-length”refers to a channel length in a range from about 25 microns (μm) (0.001inch) to about 500 μm (0.02 inch). In contrast, the term “long channels”pertaining to prior art monoliths refers to channel lengths of greaterthan about 5 mm (0.20 inch) upwards of 127 mm (5 inches). The term“channel length” is taken as the distance along a pore or channelmeasured from an inlet on one side to an outlet on another side. In thecase of the mesh of this invention, the channel length refers to theultra-short distance from an inlet on one side of the mesh to an outleton the other side of the mesh, which is distinguished from and not to beconfused with the overall length through the catalytic substrate, forexample, from an inlet at the inner diameter of the coiled mesh to anoutlet at the outer diameter of the coiled mesh. In another embodiment,the channel length is not longer than the diameter of the elements fromwhich the substrate is constructed; thus, the channel length may be in arange from 25 μm (0.001 inch) up to about 100 μm (0.004 inch), andpreferably not more than about 350 μm (0.014 inch). In view of thisso-called “ultra-short channel length”, the contact time of reactantswith the mesh advantageously ranges from about 5 milliseconds (5 msec)to about 350 msec. The Microlith® brand ultra-short-channel-lengthcatalyst substrate typically comprises from about 100 to about 1,000 ormore flow channels per square centimeter. Microlith® brand catalystsubstrates may be in the form of woven wire screens, pressed metalscreens; or they may be manufactured by perforation and expansion of athin metal sheet as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,444, incorporatedherein by reference.

The Microlith brand ultra-short-channel-length metal mesh substratefacilitates packing more active surface area into a smaller volume andprovides increased reactive area and lower pressure drop, as comparedwith prior art monolithic substrates. Whereas in prior art honeycombmonoliths having conventional long channels where a fully developedboundary layer is present over a considerable length of the channels; incontrast, the ultra-short-channel-length characteristic of the metalmesh substrate avoids boundary layer buildup. Since heat and masstransfer coefficients depend on boundary layer thickness, avoidingboundary layer buildup enhances transport properties. The advantages ofemploying the ultra-short-channel-length metal substrate, such as theMicrolith® brand thereof, to control and limit the development of aboundary layer of a fluid passing there through is described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,504,047, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Pat. No.6,746,657 to Castaldi, both patents incorporated herein by reference.Among other advantages, the preferred Microlith® brandultra-short-channel-length substrate provides for light-weight portablesize, a low pressure drop, a high throughput, a high yield ofhydrogen-containing reformate, a low yield of coke and coke precursors,and an acceptably long catalyst lifetime, as compared with alternativesubstrates, such as monoliths.

The substrate in the catalytic reaction zone of the reformer modulesupports a reforming catalyst capable of facilitating partial oxidationreactions, wherein a hydrocarbon fuel is reformed to partially-oxidizedproducts, namely syngas components of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Asuitable reforming catalyst comprises one or more of the metals of GroupVIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements. The Group VIII elementsinclude iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium,iridium, platinum, and mixtures thereof. The deposition of the GroupVIII metal(s) onto the substrate can be implemented by methods wellknown in the art. Alternatively, finished catalysts comprising GroupVIII metal(s) deposited and bound to the Microlith® brandultra-short-channel-length metal mesh substrate are available fromPrecision Combustion, Inc., North Haven, Conn.

The substrate and reforming catalyst are warmed up using a commercialignition device, for example, a resistive glow plug heating element,disposed near the substrate. The fuel and oxidizer fed to the reformerare likewise warmed up. The ignition device is energized untiltemperature sensors, such as thermocouples, located within the reformermodule indicate a temperature has been reached sufficient to initiatecatalytic activity. Once the catalyst is ignited, the glow plug isde-energized, and energy from the resulting exothermic reaction sustainscatalytic operation without a need for inputting external heat. Thereformer ignition system of this invention allows for start-up from coldor ambient fuel conditions advan-tageously without a need for a fuelvaporizer or other external source of heat.

The reforming process operates at a temperature greater than about 700°C. and less than about 1,100° C. For purposes of this invention, theoperating pressure ranges from about 1 psig or less, for example, fromabout 0.5 psig (3.5 kPa) to about 1 psig (6.9 kPa). The combined flow ofdistillate fuel and oxidizer into the reformer is provided to produce anacceptable conversion of fuel to syngas. A suitable gas hourly spacevelocity ranges from about 10,000 liters of combined fuel and oxidizerper liter of catalyst bed per hour (10,000 hr⁻¹) to about 100,000 hf⁻¹.

In the apparatus of this invention, there is no necessity to provide abank of storage vessels to store reformate until called for by theengine. Instead, reformate is produced on demand and fed as-neededdirectly into the engine or, alternatively, fed through a heat exchangemodule and/or bypass valve and thereafter into the engine.

In one embodiment, a heat exchange module is disposed between thereformer module and the internal combustion engine. Designs for heatexchange modules (heat exchangers) are found in the art. Generally, theheat exchange module comprises (i) a first inlet communicating with theoutlet line receiving the gaseous reformate from the fuel reformermodule, and further communicating with a first flow path within the heatexchange module, which passes the reformate and exits it at a firstoutlet. The heat exchange module further comprises (ii) a second inletthat receives an intake of heat transfer fluid, a second flow paththrough the heat exchange module, which passes the heat transfer fluidand exits it at a second outlet. The first and second heat exchangepaths are (iii) disposed in thermal conductive contact such that heatfrom the hot reformate in the first flow path is transferred viaconduction into the heat transfer fluid passing through the second flowpath thereby resulting in a cooled reformate and a heated heat transferfluid.

Gaseous reformate passing through the heat exchanger is cooled thereinfor the purpose of increasing volumetric density of the fuel fed to theinternal combustion engine. Partially gasified fuel has a potential toreduce to liquid form, which can block the flow stream or boil off andcause material buildup in undesirable locations throughout the system.The heat exchange module can be positioned in any orientation (vertical,horizontal, or any angle in between), provided that little or nocondensate accumulates disadvantageously in the system.

The heat transfer fluid comprises any liquid or gaseous fluid capable ofaccepting heat conductively and essentially without degradation ordecomposition. In one instance, the heat transfer fluid comprisesambient air; and heated air is exhausted through the second path outletinto the environment. In this embodiment, the heat exchange module canbe provided in the form of a muffin fan that blows ambient air overconduits or tubes of the first flow path, which carry the hot gaseousreformate. In another instance, the heat transfer fluid comprisesambient air; and the heat-exchanged air is collected as a pre-heatedoxidizer and fed into the oxidizer inlet of the reformer. In this latterembodiment, the second heat exchange outlet is coupled to the oxidizerinlet of the reformer. From an operative perspective, if a heat exchangemodule is employed, it is desirable to reduce the temperature of thereformate from its temperature leaving the reformer to a temperatureranging from about 40° C. to about 150° C.

In another embodiment a bypass valve is disposed between the reformermodule (after the heat exchange module if any) and the internalcombustion engine. The bypass valve comprises: (i) a bypass inletfluidly coupled to the outlet of the reformer module (or the outlet ofthe heat exchange module if any); (ii) a bypass first outlet to theenvironment; and (iii) a bypass second outlet fluidly coupled to theinternal combustion engine. Bypass valves can be obtained commercially.The reformate exiting the reformer module and optionally exiting theheat exchange module enters into the bypass valve via the bypass inlet.Thereafter, the reformate exits the bypass valve through either thefirst bypass outlet to the environment or through the second bypassoutlet into the internal combustion engine.

In another embodiment a throttle body is disposed after the reformermodule (or after the heat exchange module or bypass valve, as the casemay be) and upstream of the intake to the internal combustion engine.The throttle body functions to regulate and adjust the flows ofreformate, oxidizer, and liquid co-fuel fed into the combustion engineaccording to engine torque and speed demands. The throttle body isconfigured to contain a throttle valve disposed within a housing. On anupstream side of the throttle valve is configured an inlet for oxidizer,such as air, and a separate inlet for gaseous reformate. On a downstreamside of the throttle valve is provided an outlet for exiting a mixtureof reformate and oxidizer to the intake of the internal combustionengine. Liquid co-fuel is introduced on the downstream side of thethrottle valve via a port adapted with a fuel nozzle. Liquid co-fuel ispumped through the nozzle at a rate prescribed by the control module.Co-fuel is preferably injected in pulses. The co-fuel functions to boostthe power output of the engine without sacrificing combustion stability.

Notably, the throttle body employed in this invention is not configuredlike a conventional carburetor, because in this invention the throttlebody does not carburete liquid fuel. Thus as employed herein, thethrottle body avoids a design, e.g., a venturi, that sucks liquid fuelinto an air stream. Rather, the throttle body as used herein employs aconventional nozzle to spray liquid co-fuel into the mixture of gaseousreformate and oxidizer.

The internal combustion engine comprises any conventional spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine designed to operate on liquid fuel having anoctane number greater than 80. Suitable examples of such engines includeconventional SI motive engines suitable for small engine applications,such as a lawn mower, or suitable for a transport vehicle, such as anautomobile, boat, or motorcycle. Alternatively, the conventional SIinternal combustion engine employable in this invention is coupled to anelectrical generator, as known in the art. In any of these embodimentsthe internal combustion engine comprises an intake manifold forintroducing a mixture of fuel and oxidizer to one or more combustionchambers, each chamber comprising a reciprocating piston designed foroperation on a high octane fuel having an octane number greater than 80,a spark igniter disposed therein as known in the art, and an outlet forexhausting combustion products from each combustion chamber. A liquidfuel inlet is generally present, but may or may not be engaged asdesired. For this invention, the fuel intake of each combustion chamberis fluidly connected to an outlet line from the immediate upstreamcomponent, such as the reformer module, or the heat exchanger, or thebypass valve as the case may be. In this regard as noted previously, theinternal combustion engine may further comprise a throttle body disposeddownstream of the reformer module (or after the heat exchange module orbypass valve, as the case may be) and upstream of the reciprocatingpiston(s). The throttle body functions to regulate and adjust the flowsof reformate and oxidizer fed into the combustion engine in accordancewith load. Typically, the SI engine comprises from one (1) to six (6)reciprocating pistons. In the present invention, the liquid fuel linemay be disconnected from the fuel intake of the IC engine andreconnected to the fuel inlet of the reformer module. Alternatively, theliquid fuel line can be connected to the throttle body disclosed herein;while an additional line can be connected from the fuel tank to thereformer module.

According to this invention, in one embodiment, the SI internalcombustion engine is solely fed reformate derived from the low octanedistillate fuel. In another embodiment, the SI internal combustionengine is fed a mixture of reformate derived from the low octanedistillate fuel supplemented with a co-fuel of low octane liquiddistillate fuel. As a consequence, the invention converts aspark-ignited internal combustion engine to operate on logistics fuels,which are readily transported to and ubiquitous to logistics and fieldoperations. Gasoline and other more volatile high octane fuels are notrequired and need not be provided. Moreover, the catalytic mesh or foamsubstrate employed in this invention provides for a light-weight,portable reformer module producing a selective reformate with little orno coking. The invention avoids the use of reformers employing heavyparticulate catalyst beds and the use of diesel engines characterized byheavy thick walls and sooty emissions.

The system control module monitors and regulates multi-functional andintegrated operation of the apparatus. The system control modulecomprises (i) a supplementary power source; (ii) a data acquisitionmodule; and (iii) a processing module. The power source primarilycomprises a battery pack for start-up, peaking, and stabilization of theengine. The size of the battery pack is determined by the scale andoutput of the engine, as determined by the skilled person. As expected,the battery pack can be obtained commercially. The data acquisitionmodule comprises commercially-available chemical sensors includingoxygen and hydrocarbon sensors, temperature sensors (e.g.,thermocouples), mass flow controllers, and pressure sensors, including amanifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor (e.g., Freescale Semiconductor,Inc.) for monitoring the pressure of the combined flows of reformate andoxidizer into the engine. All of the aforementioned sensorsintermittently or continuously monitor inputs and outputs and enginedemands. The processing module receives the acquired data from theacquisition module and manipulates the data through a system ofcomputerized hardware and software, thereby feeding back commands to thedistillate fuel and oxidizer intakes to the reformer. The oxidizer feedto the reformer module is typically calculated on the quantity ofdistillate fuel fed to the reformer and the desired reformingtemperature.

Additionally, the system control module is constructed to control bypassvalve switching between the bypass first outlet to the environment andthe bypass second outlet to the internal combustion engine.Specifically, if the internal combustion engine is not operationalduring reformer operation, the control module automatically opens thebypass valve first outlet to the environment and closes the bypass valvesecond outlet to the internal combustion engine. In contrast, when thereformer and the internal combustion engine are both operational, thecontrol module automatically closes the bypass valve first outlet to theenvironment and opens the bypass valve second outlet to the internalcombustion engine.

In this invention, a spark-ignited internal combustion engine designedto operate on high octane fuel of greater than 80 octane rating isretrofitted with the fuel reformer module, and preferable heat exchangemodule, bypass valve, and/or throttle body disclosed herein; and theresulting apparatus of this invention operates on high octane gaseousreformate with or without a quantity of low octane distillate co-fuel.When no distillate co-fuel is fed to the engine, the SI-IC engineoperates on 100 percent high octane reformate derived from low octanedistillate fuel fed to the reformer. When distillate co-fuel issupplemented to the engine, the SI-IC engine operates on high octanereformate in a range from about 20 percent to less than 100 percent andon low octane co-fuel in a range from greater than 0 to about 80percent, based on the total fuel input to the engine. Accordingly, aconventional SI internal combustion engine, designed for operation ongasoline, can be easily retrofitted as described herein and operatedsolely (100 percent) on gaseous reformate derived from diesel or anyother low octane distillate, biomass, or synthetic fuel; oralternatively, the gasoline engine can be operated on a combination of20-100 percent diesel reformate and 0-80 percent liquid diesel (or otherdistillate fuel). Thus, this invention advantageously allows forconventional gasoline-fueled vehicles and generators to be operated onlogistically-preferred distillate fuels or other distillate fuelindigenous to a geographic locale. The system provides for generatorshaving a power output ranging, for example, from 0.3 to 3.0 kWe.

The skilled person should understand that the reformer module operatescontinuously and takes up to about 1 minute to reach steady state. Incontrast, the internal combustion engine starts up immediately, but eachpiston undergoes combustion intermittently. Thus, a problem arises insmoothly interfacing start-up of the reformer module with start-up ofthe internal combustion engine. In one embodiment wherein the inventiontechnology is employed in a small scale portable generator, the internalcombustion engine is typically hand-cranked. In such instance, thereformate bypass valve is employed to vent reformate to the environmentuntil such time as the engine is cranking sufficiently fast to drawsufficient air into the combustion chamber with reformate. At such time,the bypass valve can be switched from venting to the environment toventing to the internal combustion engine. On the other hand, when theinternal combustion engine is started-up electronically via the batterypack, reformate can be immediately flowed into the combustion chamberwith sufficient air. In this instance, the bypass valve is likely to beunnecessary.

In accordance with this invention, a start-up procedure using the bypassvalve comprises the following steps: (1) powering the ignition sourcewithin the reformer; (2) starting the flow of distillate fuel to thereformer; (3) simultaneously or prior to step (2), opening the bypassfirst outlet to the environment and closing the bypass second outlet tothe internal combustion engine; (4) starting the flow of oxidizer to thereformer; (5) igniting the partial oxidation of the fuel and oxidizer inthe reformer to form gaseous reformate; (7) exiting gaseous reformatefrom the reformer and passing same through the heat exchange module andthrough the bypass first outlet to the environment; (8) cranking theinternal combustion engine; (9) opening the bypass second outlet to theinternal combustion engine and closing the bypass first outlet to theenvironment; (10) passing the gaseous reformate into the internalcombustion engine with oxidizer for combustion. An additional stepcomprises (11) depowering the ignition source to the reformer afterreforming reaches steady state.

As used herein, the term “inlet” refers to any conventional structurethat provides for passage of a liquid or gaseous fluid into a componentof the apparatus invention disclosed hereinabove, such structure toinclude any auxiliary part(s) as known to a person skilled in the art.As used herein, the term “outlet” refers to any conventional structurethat provides for passage of a liquid or gaseous fluid out of acomponent of the apparatus invention disclosed hereinabove, suchstructure to include any auxiliary part(s) as known to a person skilledin the art.

EMBODIMENTS Example 1 (E-1)

A commercial generator (Honda Model No. EU1000i; 900We output usinggasoline; 50 cc displacement), configured with a spark-ignited, singlepiston internal combustion engine designed for operation on gasoline,was modified in accordance with this invention as illustrated in FIG. 1so as to operate on a reformate derived from JP-8 fuel. A reformermodule 2 was provided comprising a fuel inlet 3 consisting of anelectromagnetic fuel injector for feeding a partially-atomized liquiddistillate fuel to a mixing zone 4; an oxidizer inlet 5 for feeding anair supply from a forced air blower to the mixing zone 4; mixing zone 4for thoroughly atomizing the liquid fuel and mixing it with the air; anda catalytic reforming zone 6 for receiving the mixture of liquid fueland air from the mixer 4 and partially oxidizing the mixture to yield asyngas reformate (CO+H₂). The catalytic reforming zone 6 comprised anultra-short-channel-length substrate in the form of a coiled reticulatedmetal mesh having an inner diameter and an outer diameter and a radialflow path from the inner to the outer diameters, the mesh having arhodium-based catalyst supported thereon (Precision Combustion, Inc.,North Haven, Conn.). An ignition source 7 in the form of a glow plug waspositioned within the inner diameter of the coiled metal mesh forinitiating the partial oxidation reaction. An exhaust line 8 fluidlycoupled to the catalytic reaction zone 6 exhausted the partial oxidationproducts, CO and H₂.

The reformate exiting line 8 was fed via a first inlet 9 into a heatexchange module 11, where it passed through a first flow path (arrows)and exited via first outlet 12. Ambient air was blown as a heat transferfluid via second inlet 13 in the heat exchange module 11, passingthrough a second flow path in thermal conductive contact with the firstflow path and exiting at second outlet 14 to the environment. A cooledreformate leaving outlet 9 was fed into bypass valve 16 comprising firstoutlet 17 to the environment and second outlet 18 coupled to throttlebody 19. Air entered throttle body 19 via inlet 20. A mixture of gaseousreformate and air exiting throttle body 19 was passed into thecombustion chamber of internal combustion engine 1 throughreformate-oxidizer intake 27, where it was ignited via spark plug 26 andcombusted. Combustion products exhausted via outlet 24. Liquid co-fuelinlet 23 was not engaged. Mechanical energy obtained from combustionengine 1 was converted in generator 21 and made available via a variableresistor. System control module 25 comprising a battery pack, dataacquisition module, and processing module provided integrated operationand control of the apparatus.

In this embodiment, IC engine 1 was hand-cranked. Reformer module 2 wasfed liquid JP-8 fuel and air, which was converted to syngas reformate(H₂+CO) and initially vented via bypass outlet 17 to the environment.Once engine 1 was turning over well enough to suck in sufficient airthrough air intake 20, the bypass valve was opened at outlet 18 andclosed at outlet 17, allowing the reformate to pass into the engine forcombustion. FIG. 2 provides a graph of input, process conditions, andoutput associated with start-up over an initial 140 seconds. Thisgenerator system, including the reformer, operated for over 200 hoursproducing up to 800We output. When the reformate to the IC engine wassupplemented with liquid JP-8 fuel fed through the fuel intake of theengine, up to 1 kWe power output was obtained.

The example shows that a SI internal combustion engine designed for highoctane gasoline fuel can be modified in accordance with the invention tooperate for a substantial time solely on reformate derived from lowoctane distillate fuel, or on reformate supplemented with the low octanedistillate fuel. Similar design modifications in accordance with theinvention have been applied to SI internal combustion engines ranging insize from 35 to 200 cc displacement, such as a Honda Motor Company 3 kWegenerator (Honda EU3000i), to accommodate lower or higher power outputas desired.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with onlya limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood thatthe invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, theinvention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations,alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretoforedescribed, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of theinvention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention havebeen described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention mayinclude only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, butis only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A spark-ignited internal combustion engineadapted for multi-fuel operation, comprising: (a) a reformer modulecomprising: (i) a fuel inlet, (ii) an oxidizer inlet, (iii) a mixingzone fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet and oxidizer inlet, (iv) acatalytic reaction zone fluidly coupled to the mixing zone, the reactionzone comprising a mesh or foam substrate having anultra-short-channel-length, the substrate having supported thereon areforming catalyst; (v) an ignition source disposed within the catalyticreaction zone; and (vi) an outlet line fluidly coupled to the catalyticreaction zone; and (b) an internal combustion engine comprising: (i) oneor more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber comprising areciprocating piston and a spark igniter; (ii) a reformate intakefluidly coupled to the outlet line of the reformer module and furtherfluidly coupled to each combustion chamber; (iii) an oxidizer intakefluidly coupled to each combustion chamber; and (iv) an exhaust outletfrom each combustion chamber, wherein a heat exchange module is disposedbetween the reformer module and the internal combustion engine, whereinthe heat exchange module comprises (i) a first heat exchange inletfluidly coupled to the outlet of the reformer module, a first flow paththrough the heat exchange module from the first heat exchange inlet to afirst heat exchange outlet, wherein the first heat exchange outlet isfluidly coupled to the reformate intake of the internal combustionengine; (ii) a second heat exchange inlet for inputting a heat transferfluid, a second flow path through the heat exchange module from thesecond heat exchange inlet to a second heat exchange outlet; and (iii)the first and second flow paths being in thermally conductive contact.2. The internal combustion engine of claim 1 wherein the mesh or foamsubstrate has an ultra-short-channel-length ranging from 25 microns to500 microns.
 3. The internal combustion engine of claim 2 wherein themesh or foam substrate comprises a metal mesh or metal foam selectedfrom nickel-chrome-iron alloys.
 4. The internal combustion engine ofclaim 2 wherein the substrate supports a reforming catalyst selectedfrom one or more Group VIII elements of the Periodic Table.
 5. Theinternal combustion engine of claim 1 further comprising a systemcontrol module coupled to the reformer module and the internalcombustion engine, the system control module configured with (i) asupplementary power source; (ii) a data acquisition module; and (iii) aprocessing module.
 6. The internal combustion engine of claim 1 furthercomprising an electrical conversion module coupled to the internalcombustion engine and configured to convert mechanical output of theinternal combustion engine into electricity.
 7. The internal combustionengine of claim 1 wherein the exhaust outlet of the internal combustionengine is fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet of the reformer module.
 8. Aspark-ignited internal combustion engine adapted for multi-fueloperation comprising: (a) a reformer module comprising: (i) a fuelinlet; (ii) an oxidizer inlet, (iii) a mixing zone fluidly coupled tothe fuel inlet and the oxidizer inlet, (iv) a catalytic reaction zonefluidly coupled to the mixing zone, the reaction zone comprising a meshor foam substrate having an ultra-short-channel-length, the substratehaving supported thereon a reforming catalyst; (v) an ignition sourcedisposed within the catalytic reaction zone; and (vi) an outlet linefluidly coupled to the catalytic reaction zone; (b) a throttle bodycomprising: (i) a housing having a throttle valve disposed therein; (ii)upstream of the throttle valve, a reformate intake fluidly coupled tothe outlet line (a)(vi) of the reformer module; (iii) upstream of thethrottle valve, an oxidizer intake; and (iv) downstream of the throttlevalve, an outlet for exiting a mixture of reformate and oxidizer; and(c) an internal combustion engine comprising: (i) one or more combustionchambers, each combustion chamber comprising a reciprocating piston anda spark igniter; (ii) a reformate-oxidizer intake fluidly coupled to theoutlet (b)(iv) of the throttle body and fluidly coupled to eachcombustion chamber; and (iii) an exhaust outlet from each combustionchamber, wherein a heat exchange module is disposed between the reformermodule and the internal combustion engine, wherein the heat exchangemodule comprises (i) a first heat exchange inlet fluidly coupled to theoutlet of the reformer module, a first flow path through the heatexchange module from the first heat exchange inlet to a first heatexchange outlet, wherein the first heat exchange outlet is fluidlycoupled to the reformate-oxidizer intake of the internal combustionengine; (ii) a second heat exchange inlet for inputting a heat transferfluid, a second flow path through the heat exchange module from thesecond heat exchange inlet to a second heat exchange outlet; and (iii)the first and second flow paths being in thermally conductive contact.9. The internal combustion engine of claim 8 wherein the mesh or foamsubstrate has an ultra-short-channel-length ranging from 25 microns to500 microns.
 10. The internal combustion engine of claim 8 furthercomprising (d) a system control module operatively coupled to thereformer module and the spark-ignited internal combustion engine,wherein the system control module is configured with (i) a supplementarypower source; (ii) a data acquisition module; and (iii) a processingmodule.
 11. The internal combustion engine of claim 8 further comprisingan electrical conversion module coupled to the internal combustionengine and configured to convert mechanical output of the internalcombustion engine into electricity.
 12. A spark-ignited internalcombustion engine adapted for multi-fuel operation comprising: (a) areformer module comprising: (i) a fuel inlet; (ii) an oxidizer inlet,(iii) a mixing zone fluidly coupled to the fuel inlet and the oxidizerinlet, (iv) a catalytic reaction zone fluidly coupled to the mixingzone, the reaction zone comprising a mesh or foam substrate having anultra-short-channel-length, the substrate having supported thereon areforming catalyst; (v) an ignition source disposed within the catalyticreaction zone; and (vi) an outlet line fluidly coupled to the catalyticreaction zone; (b) a heat exchange module comprising (i) a first heatexchange inlet fluidly coupled to the outlet line of the reformermodule, and a first flow path through the heat exchange module from thefirst heat exchange inlet to a first heat exchange outlet; (ii) a secondheat exchange inlet, and a second flow path through the heat exchangemodule from the second heat exchange inlet to a second heat exchangeoutlet; and (iii) the first flow path being in thermally conductivecontact with the second flow path; (c) a bypass valve comprising: (i) abypass inlet fluidly coupled to the first outlet of the heat exchangemodule; (ii) a bypass first outlet to the environment; and (iii) abypass second outlet; (d) a throttle body comprising: (i) a housinghaving a throttle valve disposed therein; (ii) upstream of the throttlevalve, a reformate intake fluidly coupled to the bypass second outlet;(iii) upstream of the throttle valve, an oxidizer intake; and (iv)downstream of the throttle valve, an outlet for exiting a mixture ofreformate and oxidizer; and (e) an internal combustion enginecomprising: (i) one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chambercomprising a reciprocating piston and a spark igniter; (ii) areformate-oxidizer intake coupled to the outlet (d)(iv) of the throttlebody and coupled to each combustion chamber; and (iii) an exhaust outletfrom each combustion chamber; and (f) a system control moduleoperatively coupled to the reformer module, the heat exchange module,the bypass valve, and the spark-ignited internal combustion engine, thesystem control module being configured with (i) a supplementary powersource; (ii) a data acquisition module; and (iii) a processing module.13. The internal combustion engine of claim 12 wherein the mesh or foamsubstrate has an ultra-short-channel-length ranging from 25 microns to500 microns.
 14. The internal combustion engine of claim 12 furthercomprising an electrical conversion module coupled to the internalcombustion engine and configured to convert mechanical output of theinternal combustion engine into electricity.
 15. The internal combustionengine of claim 14 producing from 0.3 to 3.0 kWe output.
 16. A methodfor starting up the spark-ignited internal combustion engine of claim12, comprising: (a) powering the ignition source within the reformer;(b) starting a flow of low octane distillate fuel to the reformer; (c)prior to step (b) or simultaneously with step (b), opening the bypassfirst outlet to the environment and closing the bypass second outlet tothe internal combustion engine; (d) starting a flow of oxidizer to thereformer; (e) igniting the partial oxidation reaction of the fuel withthe oxidizer in the reformer to form a gaseous reformate comprisinghydrogen and carbon monoxide; (f) exiting the gaseous reformate from thereformer and passing same through the heat exchanger and through thebypass first outlet to the environment; (g) cranking or energizing thespark-ignited internal combustion engine; (h) opening the bypass secondoutlet to the spark-ignited internal combustion engine and closing thebypass first outlet to the environment; (i) passing the gaseousreformate into the spark-ignited internal combustion engine with anadditional flow of oxidizer for combustion.